Logano, Hamlin Admonish Dillon’s Overtime Aggression – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

Don’t count on Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to be applying for membership in the Austin Dillon fan club.

In Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Dillon was racing for his Playoff life, having gone from a near lock to win in the closing laps of regulation to having to battle it out amongst two of the best in overtime.

For Dillon, it was win or bust, with his current points position making it that his only path to the Playoffs would have to come through a victory. With no guarantee that he would be in position to do so again in the three races remaining before the end of the regular season, Dillon took matters into his own hands to ensure his place in the postseason.

Lining up alongside Logano on the overtime restart, with Hamlin falling in behind him on the inside of the second row, Dillon was overtaken when the green flag flew for the final two lap sprint to the finish as Logano got the jump and was able to ascend to the lead.

Try as he might, Dillon was unable to get by Logano for the first lap and a half and with one corner to go, he charged down into Turn 3 with reckless abandon in his final attempt at surpassing Logano to retake the lead and take the win for himself.

Contact between Dillon’s front bumper and Logano’s rear bumper sent Logano spinning up the track, causing Dillon to have to check up to avoid being collected himself, bringing Hamlin into the picture, as he looked to have a clear path to drive right past the both of them and on to the checkered flag.

However, Dillon kept his foot in the gas, turning down the track and tagging Hamlin’s right rear, sending him into the outside wall, clearing the way for him to come out on top in the end.

The victory cemented Dillon’s place in the Playoffs, breaking a winless streak dating back to Daytona in August 2022 and elevating him from 32^nd place in the points to do so.